In the field of ink ribbons for printers, a ribbon supply spool and a ribbon take-up spool have been provided on opposite sides of a typing or printing station, together with means for reversing the direction of travel of the ribbon for repeated use thereof in an arrangement for the purpose of obtaining longer ribbon life. Also, the ink ribbon has been made to travel along a line of printing wherein the supply spool and the take-up spool are positioned beyond the ends of the printing line and the ribbon is caused to travel at an angle relative to the print line to utilize a greater portion of the ribbon width. However, in the case of certain high-speed printers, a ribbon substantially as wide as the line of printing may be used and caused to travel in a direction normal to the print line and in a path along with the record media. Additionally, it has been common to provide ink carrying or containing means operably associated with the ribbon for maintaining or replenishing a supply of ink therein for proper and extended-life printing operations.
In present day printers, it is also common practice to provide and use a ribbon cassette carrying an endless ribbon which is caused to be driven past a printing station, and wherein the printing ribbon is either a pre-inked and disposable ribbon or a ribbon which is to be continuously or frequently re-inked during the printing operation. The ribbon cassette itself may be of the stuffing-box type wherein the ribbon is contained within the cassette in random manner and such ribbon is unfolded at the cassette exit and caused to be driven past the printing station for use thereat and then guided back into the cassette to be folded again in random manner therein. Additionally, a ribbon may be utilized in a Mobius loop configuration within the cassette to obtain longer ribbon life, the ribbon may be in substantially continuous contact with an inking core or like member, or the ribbon may have a plurality of coils thereof around a central core for controlled inking or re-inking of the ribbon.
Representative documentation relating to ribbon cassettes or cartridges includes U.S. Pat. No. 3,726,381, issued to J. B. Murphy on Apr. 10, 1973, which discloses an endless ribbon with a pair of drive rollers for continuously driving the ribbon during at least a portion of the printing operation.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,918,569, issued to R. L. Parker on Nov. 11, 1975, discloses an endless ribbon cartridge wherein the ribbon is wrapped around spaced rollers and is trained in a feed path from between the rollers and across the ends of extended arms.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,977,512, issued to L. O. Teagarden et al. on Aug. 31, 1976, discloses a ribbon cassette mounted on a printer wherein the ribbon is formed in a Mobius loop and is driven by rollers to be randomly stuffed in the cassette chamber and a spring is used to provide proper ribbon tension.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,209,261, issued to D. W. Bell et al. on Jun. 24, 1980, discloses a ribbon cassette having a cavity for containing the ribbon in one plane at an angle and ribbon drive means positioned at such angle for driving the ribbon in an angled path past the printing station.
Canadian Patent No. 1,240,947, granted to NCR Corporation (Inventors T. J. Bossack and L. E Shipos) and issued on Aug. 23, 1988, discloses an endless ribbon cassette having a cavity for containing the ribbon oriented along a path therein and elongated arm means for guiding the ribbon in a path along a line of printing at an angle normal to the path of the ribbon in the cavity.